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Read today’s headlines about Millennials (defined as those born between the early 1980’s and the early 2000’s) and the workforce, and you’ll be inundated with bad news. Millennials have been characterized as “unprepared for the 21st century workforce,” “struggling to find their first good job,” and “finding the job market humbling.”

As we all know, young people are facing a far more arduous path from college to professional life than any generation in decades. The U.S. Department of Labor shares that nearly half of working college graduates are “underemployed.” And according to The Economic Policy Institute, “The weak labor market has been, and continues to be, very tough on young workers: At 16.2 percent, the March 2013 unemployment rate of workers under age 25 was slightly over twice as high as the national average.”

Who’s to blame? The blame has been placed widely on inadequate training from universities and more commonly, on Millennials themselves. We’ve all heard the stereotypes — Millennials are too entitled, self-involved, fickle, lack work ethic, don’t know how to communicate beyond their social media accounts, and have no company loyalty.

But is there a deeper story here? Are there new ways we can view this crisis, and offer fresh perspectives that shed important light on how young people today can become gainfully employed, land fulfilling and financially rewarding work, and build careers that are successful and enriching over time?

Bentley University saw an opportunity to explore this issue, taking a holistic approach to determining how significant and real this lack of preparedness is, pinpoint the causes, and identify practical, behavioral-focused solutions.

According to Bentley University, their Preparedness Study is one of the most comprehensive surveys done on the subject of preparedness for the workforce. Researchers talked to more than 3,100 individuals from nine different groups who have a key stake in this issue, including leaders in higher education and business, corporate recruiters, current high school and college students and their parents, recent college graduates, and the public at large. They researched how each felt about some fundamental questions.

Among other important findings, Bentley’s PreparedU Project revealed 10 essential ways Millennials can better prepare for today’s working world, and for professional success:

Mind the gap

There’s consensus that more must be done to prepare millennials for success in the workplace – consensus that includes some millennials themselves. Recently released results from Bentley University’s Preparedness Study found that 37 percent of recent college graduates give themselves a grade of “C” or lower on their level of preparedness.

Are you prepared for your first job and for a successful career? Consider your own level of preparedness and strive for more – whether through networking, meeting with career advisors, or taking courses that challenge you – to make sure you are doing all you can grow as a professional.

Find out how your potential employers define preparedness One of the major findings of Bentley’s study is that millennials and employers don’t necessarily agree on what it means to be prepared. That’s why it’s important to talk to a variety of professionals in your field to learn what they look for in new hires.

Think about building a diverse set of skills Two-thirds of business leaders responded to the survey saying that hard and soft skills are equally important for success in the workplace. (Hard skills refer to technical and professional skills, while soft skills have more to do with people and interpersonal interactions, such as communicating effectively, teamwork, and patience.)

For undergraduates, taking college courses that teach both sets of skills, or a mix of professionally-focused classes and liberal arts courses, help you build the broad range of skills that employers want – ones that set you up for success both in your first job and later in your career.

Show your loyalty Bentley’s study found that half (51%) of business professionals and more than half (58%) of millennials agree that businesses tend to think of millennials as dispensable — just another employee who will be gone in a few years — and, thus, don’t invest in their career development.

Prove employers wrong by getting to know your peers, dedicating time to team-building and indicating a clear interest in helping the company achieve its goals.

Adapt to other generations in the office While most non-Millennials have positive attitudes towards millennials, many find them difficult to manage (67%) and feel that they lack respect for others (51%). In fact, the majority of both millennials and non-millennials agree that millennials will have to change to conform to the workplace.

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Thanks, Aziz. That’s so disheartening to hear – that students think “this is what I’m supposed to do.” We’re failing our kids if that’s what they’ve been told. I’m a huge fan of the college experience and how it can enrich a young person’s life. It’s not just about “getting a job” afterwards (the sole focus of college, to me, isn’t just about forging a career, but much more) – it’s about creating life-changing experiences, growing as an independent, self-reliant adult, experiencing more of the world in unique ways, and building life-long relationships as well as honing your skills, talents and passions and applying those skills in stimulating ways. If we don’t demonstrate concretely to our children and to our students the fantastic upsides of higher education, why will they ever be excited about it? Thanks so much for sharing.